Portable display



ET AL March 4, 1952 B. CORN, JR,

PORTABLE DISPLAY 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1

March 1952 B. CORN, JR, ET AL 2,587,698

PORTABLE DISPLAY Filed Jan. 17, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIG. 3

Patented Mar. 4, 19 52 PORTABLE DISPLAY Behnont Corn, Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y., and Charles D. Roscher, Bogota, N. J assignors to The Displaycrs,Inc.

Application January 17, 1951, Serial No. 206,492

1 v This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly toa display which may be knocked down or collapsed for packaging in arelatively light, easy-to-handle packing case.

The new apparatus comprises a plurality of demountable support panelscapable of being assembled together to form a .display screen in avariety of specific arrangements. Each panel is made up of fourlightweight tubular frame members made preferably of a hard aluminumalloy. Two of the tubular members are substantially U-shaped while theremaining two are straight and are adapted to interconnect the arms ofthe two U-shaped members. The connection between a straight member andthe arm of a U-shaped member is preferably of the telescopic type, theend of one having a portion of substantially reduced diameter and beingadapted to receive over this portion the end of the other. A thumb screwis also provided at each connection of a straight member with the arm ofa U-shaped member to press the telescoping portions of theinterconnection into tight frictional engagement with each other wherebythe two members may be locked together. The support panels which may allbe of the same size or, as will be subsequently described in connectionwith a preferred embodiment of the invention, may be of different sizes,are adapted to be hinged together by clamps which permit adjustable,angular relative positioning of the panels with respect to one another.

A plurality of reticulated display panels, preferably made of expandedaluminum sheet, are provided and may be detachably secured to thesupport panels in the planes thereof and between the tubular. framemembers. These display panels are adapted to support, in variouspositions and arrangements, plaques containing advertising copy;photographs, charts and the like. If desired the display panels may bemade of materials other than expanded aluminum sheet. For instance,perforated Masonite lacquered in any color may be used instead.

. To fill out the support panels and to provide a proper and pleasantlyappearing background for the advertising copy supported on the reticu-.

lated display panels, a curtain ,is provided for each panel and isadapted to be removably or panels.

2 Claims. (Cl. -135) Flexwood and may be of a variety of colors. Howeverin the preferred form of apparatus they are made of differently coloredfabrics.

Also provided in the display apparatus are a number of shelves which maybe detachably secured to the frame members of the support These shelvesare intended to support various articles being displayed.

A packing case, preferably of lightweight plywood, is included and is ofa size sufiicient to contain our entire display apparatus in knockeddownor collapsed condition. The packing case however performs anotherfunction and that is to support a collapsible counter surface. A drapeor cover, preferably of the same material as the curtains for thesupport panels, is provided to cover the counter supported by thepacking case and to extend to the floor thereby hiding from view theopen packing case and resulting in the composite counter appearing to bea table.

Lastly a number of electric lamps, provided preferably with spunaluminum shades, are included for lighting the exhibit. These lamps areprovided with pipe clamps operable by a single thumb screw forattachment to a tubular frame member of the support panels.

For a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment of ourinvention reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus set up for displaypurposes;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the packing case containing the entiredisplay apparatus in knocked-down form,

Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the countertable, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an arrangement of the supportpanels different from that shown in Fig. 1.

By reference first to Figs. 1 and 2 the portable display apparatus Willbe seen to comprise a plurality of similar support panels. Broad panelsI0, II and I2 in the specific screen shown, are of one size and narrowpanels I3 and IA of another size. Each of support panels l0|2 comprisesa pair of broad U-shaped tubular frame members [5 and a pair of straighttubular frame members I6, the individual frame members being best seenin Fig. 2. Straight frame members l6 are provided at their opposite endswith por- Support panels l3 and I4 comprise a pair of straight members[6 and a pair of narrow U-shaped members 2|.

parts and guides for receiving and maintaining the various knocked-downparts of the display The ends of the arms of U-shaped members 2! areslotted similarly to the.

ends of frame members and the connections between these U-shapedmembers..and them.

straight members to form panels l3- and 14- are the same as are those ofbroad panels I0l2.

The various support panels 110 -44 may be r. hinged together in avariety of different ways by a number of clamps 22. trated in Fig. 1 thethree broad support panels For instance, as illus- Ill- 12 may beadjacent one another with the nan-.1 row support panels. l3.and Mbeingdisposed out-.l wardly therefrom. Or as illustrated in Fig. .4, the

smaller support panels I3 and 14 may. separate the largerisupport panelsl0.l2 from one.an.-

other. It will be clear of course that the angular... relationship ofthe support panels with. respect to one another may also be .varied atwill. A

number of reticulated-display, panels 23,each comprisingan aluminumframe 24 supporting .a

piece of expandedaluminum sheet .25, are providedv and are. adapted tobe detachably secured.

in any detachable manner to the frame members of the support panels.

els and may be used for-supporting articleswhich are to be displayed.

Each of the panels l0l4 is additionally pro- 1 These reticulated displaypanels 23 may be employed to support in varivided with a curtain 21 madeashas been previously stated, of cloth fabric, Leatherette, etc,

which maybe fastened, as by snap grippers (not shown), to the paneltoform a pleasingly appearing background for the material to be exhibiteduAs will be seen'inthe drawings, our tains-21 aresufiiciently large tocompletely fill theopen-spaces between the-frame members of the supportpanels.

A pair of-lightweightelectriclamps 28- having spun aluminum-shades maybesecured bycla-mps 29, with which they are provided, to -any;portion-- ofany of the frame members of the support panels for the purpose oflighting the display. In mostcases twolamps aresufiicient for thispurposebut of coursea greater number-may be I employed.

A packing case 30 of ply-wood is fitted to receive the knocked-downapparatus as shown in Fig. 2. As may be seen in Fig. 3, case 30-isintendedalso to be used asa support --for a fold A drape cover 32,-made-- preferably of the same material as are the cur-- ing counterboard 31.

tains 21, fits overv counter board 3|, and hangs to the floor therebyhiding the packing casefrom view and giving the composite counter theappearance of. a tableras indicated in' Fig.- 1. It

will be seen from Fig. 2 that the interior of the packing case 30 isprovided with a variety of apparatus tightly packed therein.

The desirable attributes of our portable display apparatus are many, butamong the most important are its characteristic of providing a largedisplay area when assembled yet requiring a yerysmall space whenknocked-down and packaged. It furthermore is'very light in--.welght, theentire apparatus weighing less than lbs. and therefore may be easily andreadily handled. Additionally, a large degree of flexibility inappearance is achieved by reason of the various arrangements... of..the. support panels, the dis- -play panels and the curtains which itsnovel construction- -permits:to be employed. For example, instead ofassembling the display screen as a whole by locating the two narrowsupport panels lil and M on the outside, as shown in Fig. 1, the lattermay form interior support panels, as shown. in Fig. A, 1 withoutmakins ay an e in-.;the sub-assem liesp pa red straight tubulan; members 16, andclamps 22 as they; are taken from case, .(Fig. 2

It willalso be apparentthatuvariousuchanges a d odificationsm y he.made. ,intheapparatus. withoutldeparting. from our,v invention the scopep; of which should not.beglimi edoexceptt the e.X-.. tent set forth. in,theappended c1aims.

Weclaimz;

1. Portablemdisplay; apparatus. comprising ;a plurality of supportpanels. hinged to one 7 another, .each of said; support panels,comprising a pair of. substantially U-..shaped,tubular, members and a.pair -of. straight tubularmembers demountably interconnecting the arms.1 of. one U -shaped. member .to the .arms. of. lithe .other U-shapedmember,..a pluralityof displaypanels detachably secured to members.ofthegsupport.

panels and supported substantiallyinthe planes of the support-panels,.andea plurality of cur.- tains detachably.secured tothe-members of thesupport panels, eachof said curtains occupying the major portion-ofthespacebetween the tubular members oithe-associated support panel.-

2. Portable display apparatus q accordingto claim-1 in-whicheach-arm-bfa U-shaped tubu-- larmember is -;connected-toa straight tubular memberbya telescopicconnection the end of 5 one being of reduced diameter toreceive over it the end 1 of the other; and each connection including athumb screw for pressing-the telescoping portions intotight-frictional-engagement with each-other;

' BELMONT"-CORN,=-JR."

ROSCHER,

REFERENGES- CITED H The following references argof record. in the fi oft is pate t;

N TED TATE-3313A- I v .V S 1 De -Ment--.; Dec. 1, 1942

